Implant Planning Software System Requirements: What Computer Blue Sky Plan, coDiagnostiX and DTX Studio Need (2026)

Surgery is booked for Monday morning. The CBCT was taken last week, the plan was started on the doctor's laptop, and now the case needs to open on the consult-room PC so the guide can be finalised. It won't. Or the doctor has a new MacBook and Blue Sky Plan won't install at all. Somebody at the front desk is asked to "just buy a PC that runs the planning software", and nobody is sure what that means.

This guide puts the vendors' published figures side by side (checked against their own pages on 26 October 2026), then gives you a Mac decision table, a 5-minute check for the PC you already own, a spec sheet for a new one, the licence and dongle-server decisions, a worked network example, a backup checklist and the questions to ask before you buy. It sits under our periodontal practice technology guide. If you want to see how Legend works with practices on the IT side, start with our dental IT support page.

What computer do you need for implant planning software?

You need a workstation, not a front-desk PC. Implant planning software draws a 3D model of the CBCT scan, overlays the intraoral or model scan and lets the surgeon move virtual implants in real time. That work lands on the graphics card and memory. A typical reception PC, with integrated graphics, 8 GB of RAM and Windows Home, falls short of at least one vendor floor.

Implant planning software combines a CBCT scan (DICOM files) with a surface scan (STL) so the clinician can place implants virtually and, in most products, design a surgical guide for printing or milling. A 2020 review in BMC Oral Health compared how five planners import and register those files; it is the place to start if you are comparing planning features rather than hardware. This page stays on the computer, the network and the files.

Four questions decide your spec. Answer them before anyone prices a machine. For the IT side of the whole perio office, see our IT support for periodontal practices page.

The practice management side is a different list. If you also need the floor for Dentrix, Eaglesoft or Open Dental on the same machine, see our guide to dental practice software system requirements, and buy for whichever list is higher.

Implant planning software system requirements, side by side (checked October 2026)

The table below lists the minimum each vendor publishes for its current release. Blue Sky Plan asks the most of the graphics card (3 GB of dedicated video memory) and the most RAM among the standalone planners (16 GB). coDiagnostiX asks for the most disk. DTX Studio Implant is the only one in the table that publishes an internet speed.

Two things in the table catch practices out. First, several vendors still list Windows 10, but Microsoft ended Windows 10 Home and Pro support on October 14, 2025, so a new planning PC should ship with Windows 11 Pro. Second, the minimums are floors, not targets: they describe what will open a case, not what will rotate a large scan smoothly while the patient waits.

Buying the PC yourself? Our dental workstation and server setup page explains how we handle hardware; hardware procurement, major cabling projects and software licensing are quoted separately.

What are the Blue Sky Plan system requirements?

Blue Sky Bio's download page lists Blue Sky Plan 5.0 64-bit (installer 5.0.29) with these minimums: Windows 10 Home or Professional 64-bit or newer, a quad-core Intel i7 or comparable processor, at least 16 GB of RAM, a dedicated NVIDIA or AMD card with at least 3 GB of video RAM, a 21-inch monitor at 1920×1080 or above, and 5 GB of free disk space.

Three practical notes. The page still offers a 32-bit download; on a 64-bit Windows 11 machine, install the 64-bit build. Older Blue Sky documents and third-party pages quote a smaller video-memory figure; the current download page says 3 GB, so buy to that. And "dedicated" matters: a laptop that has both an Intel chip and an NVIDIA chip can still run the planner on the weaker one unless Windows is told otherwise (see the graphics checklist below).

What are the coDiagnostiX system requirements?

coDiagnostiX's support page lists Windows 10 or 11 64-bit, an x64 processor, at least 8 GB of RAM, a graphics chip that supports OpenGL 3.3 or higher, at least 128 GB of disk (16 GB for the installation) and a screen of at least 1680×1050, with 1920×1080 or higher recommended. It also needs one free USB port and has dropped Windows 7.

The line that causes surgery-morning trouble is this one: coDiagnostiX wants at least 10 GB of free disk space before each start, for patient datasets and swap and cache files. A drive that fills up with CBCT exports and downloads can stop the program from opening.

What does DTX Studio Implant need?

DTX Studio Implant 3.6 (document GMT 94720, dated 31 January 2025) runs on Windows 11 or 10 64-bit in the Pro or Enterprise edition, or macOS 12 to 15 on Intel or Apple Silicon Macs with an M1 chip or higher. It asks for a dual-core 3 GHz processor, 8 GB of RAM, a dedicated card with OpenGL 3.3 and 2 GB of memory (4 GB for 4K displays), 5 GB of free disk and a Full HD monitor.

Two details matter for buying. Windows Home is not on the list, so a consumer laptop with Home edition needs upgrading first. DTX also says the graphics in some MacBook Air and Mac mini configurations are restricted for volume rendering and suggests low-resolution rendering on them, so a base-model Mac may be workable for review but tight for planning. It is also the only planner here that publishes a broadband figure: 3 Mbps up and 30 Mbps down.

Romexis Implant Guide module: what it adds

If you plan inside Romexis, the base Romexis 3D requirements apply first, and Planmeca sets workstation RAM by the CBCT unit (8 GB for the smaller ProMax 3D units, up to 32 GB for Viso G5 and G7). The implant features add to that: Planmeca recommends 20 GB of RAM for Implant Guide or Superimpose and 32 GB for Surgery Module features.

Legend supports the Romexis imaging environment (PCs, server, network, backup). For the full base spec, see our Planmeca Romexis IT support page. One server note: Romexis still lists SQL Server 2016 among its supported databases, and Microsoft's extended support for SQL Server 2016 ended in July 2026; the pillar's upgrade calendar covers what to do about it.

Carestream implant module (PDIP): what it adds

Carestream's CS 3D Imaging document has a separate table for the Prosthetic Driven Implant Planning (PDIP) module. Compared with the standard application it names an Intel Core i7-2600 (2nd generation) processor, a dedicated 1 GB graphics card with OpenGL 3.2 (instead of 512 MB with OpenGL 2.0), a 7200 RPM SATA drive and a 1000BASE-T (1 Gb/s) network. Both tables list 8 GB of RAM (16 GB if you use metal artefact reduction, MAR) and 1.5 GB for the implant library, and Carestream notes that the Professional version of Windows is highly recommended. Carestream also says CS 3D Imaging is not designed for Windows touchscreens.

The 1 Gb/s line is the one to check: one old 100 Mb switch or a wireless bridge between the consult room and the server falls below it. Legend supports the Carestream imaging environment (PCs, server, network, backup); the base spec is on our Carestream imaging IT support page.

3Shape Implant Studio, and why there's no number here

3Shape's update page lists Implant Studio 2026.1 as the current release, but we could not find a hardware table for Implant Studio published in text. Older figures that circulate online date from 2016 and should not be used to buy a 2026 machine. If Implant Studio is your planner, get the spec from your 3Shape reseller in writing.

If the same machine will also design restorations or drive a scanner, those requirements are a separate list; see our intraoral scanner IT requirements guide for the scanner side.

Other planners you may run

RealGUIDE and exoplan are systems a practice may run too; we have not printed specs for them because we did not open a current requirements document for each. For any of these, ask the vendor the same four questions above.

Can you run implant planning software on a Mac?

Sometimes, depending on the product. DTX Studio Implant 3.6 and ImplaStation 5.5.0 publish native macOS builds, including Apple Silicon. coDiagnostiX runs only inside Windows on an Intel Mac and says M1 and M2 Macs are not yet supported. Blue Sky Bio says Blue Sky Plan is no longer available for Mac and installs only on Windows computers.

On a current Apple Silicon Mac, the decision is simple. Either pick a planner that runs natively on macOS, or keep one Windows planning workstation in the practice and use the Mac for review and everything else.

Which graphics card do you need for implant planning?

Buy a dedicated NVIDIA or AMD card with at least 4 GB of video memory, and more if you drive a 4K screen. The published floors range from OpenGL 3.3 support (coDiagnostiX) through 2 GB (DTX Studio Implant, 4 GB for 4K) to 3 GB of dedicated video RAM (Blue Sky Plan) and 4 GB on an RTX-class card (ImplaStation's recommended spec).

Our recommendation, not a vendor figure: a current dedicated NVIDIA or AMD card with 8 GB of video memory. It clears every floor in the table with room for the next release and a second monitor, and it avoids buying again in two years. OpenGL is the graphics interface these planners use to draw the 3D scan; most dedicated cards sold today support 3.3 and above, and DTX's PDF links a free viewer tool for checking the version on an existing card.

Integrated graphics are a common reason a planner is slow or refuses to open. DTX does list some Intel processors with built-in graphics (6th-generation CPUs or newer with 9th-generation graphics or newer), but Blue Sky Plan asks for a dedicated card and ImplaStation's recommended spec names an NVIDIA RTX-class card.

The one-workstation spec sheet: a planning PC that clears every vendor's floor

If one PC has to run any of the planners in the table, buy to the highest floor in each row. The middle column below is the highest figure a vendor publishes; the right-hand column is what we would buy, labelled as our recommendation and built from those floors. Windows 11 Pro is the operating system to specify.

Before anyone orders, run the checklist.

Retiring older machines at the same time? Our guide to Windows 10 end of life for dental practices covers the rest of the office, and if this PC is part of a new build, the technology plan for a new periodontal office puts it in sequence.

Does implant planning software need the internet or a server? What is a dongle server?

It depends on the licence. A USB dongle licence needs only the key in the PC. A network licence needs a dongle server running on the same network. An internet-based licence, such as coDiagnostiX's dongle-free Straumann AXS subscription, needs a stable internet connection instead. Shared case databases add a server on top.

A dongle server is a separate, always-on Windows PC that holds a USB licence key and shares it to the planning PCs on the network. coDiagnostiX is the common example: its network licence needs an additional Windows computer with a free USB slot to act as the dongle server, and each planning PC needs a permanent wired or wireless network connection to it while the software runs. coDiagnostiX describes a server running 24/7 as "recommended, but not necessary"; in practice, the planning PCs on that licence need it reachable whenever coDiagnostiX is running, so treat it as always on.

Where Straumann offers the dongle-free AXS subscription, it needs a stable internet connection instead of a USB key. Straumann's plans page marks those subscriptions "Available in selected countries only", so ask your Straumann representative which licence you have before you design around it.

Where should the dongle server go?

Put it somewhere it stays on: in the network closet or next to the main server, on a battery backup (UPS), plugged into the same network as the planning PCs by cable, with its USB key labelled and documented. Not under a desk in an operatory where it gets switched off at night. If the practice already has a server, ask whether the dongle can live there.

Should implant planning software run on the server or a workstation?

Plan on a workstation; store on the server. The planning program uses the workstation's graphics card, so it runs on the PC in front of the clinician. The case files, the shared folder and any network database belong on the server, where they are backed up and reachable from every planning PC. coDiagnostiX's network database needs Microsoft SQL Server and a shared network drive. If imaging and the practice software stop talking after a change, our guide to imaging integration troubleshooting covers that side, and clinical network design covers how the pieces connect.

How much network speed does implant planning need? A worked example

Inside the office, plan for a wired gigabit connection: Carestream's PDIP module asks for 1 Gb/s, and coDiagnostiX lists a 10 Mbit/s network card or 11 Mbit/s Wi-Fi as its floor. Outside the office, DTX lists 3 Mbps up and 30 Mbps down. The example below shows why the difference matters with a large scan.

The formula is simple: file size in megabytes × 8 ÷ speed in megabits per second = seconds. The example uses Planmeca's published 3D image size range (50 MB to 1 GB per image) and takes the large end, 1 GB, which is about 8,000 megabits.

This is an example built from vendor figures, not a measurement in your office; real transfers run slower than line speed. Put your own scan size and your own connection speeds into the formula. The pattern holds, though: a planning PC on Wi-Fi or behind an old switch turns a few seconds into minutes, which is why the planning PC should be wired. Our guide to dental office network setup covers the cabling and switch side. Sending the plan or the CBCT outside the building is a separate decision; see sending CBCT scans and plans to referring dentists.

Where do the plans, scans and guide files live, and how are they backed up?

An implant case is several files in different places: the CBCT study, the surface scan, the plan or case database, the exported guide file and the licence. Back up the planning case folder or database on the same schedule as the practice software, and test a restore of one real case, start to finish, before you rely on it.

The planning PC is often the one machine nobody included in the backup plan, because the practice software and imaging server were set up first. If cases live only on the planning PC's local drive, one failed drive loses them. Keep the working copy on the server, and keep the server in the backup.

How long to keep implant records is set by your state; check with your dental board. For the rest of the office, our dental backup and disaster recovery checklist and our dental backup and recovery page cover the schedule and the offsite copy.

Printing guides in-house: what IT has to add

When the practice prints its own surgical guides, the planning PC hands an STL file to the printer's software. IT adds three things: a shared folder the planner exports to and the printer PC reads from, a network port for the printer if it connects over the network, and the printer software's own updates in the patch schedule.

Keep the exported guide files in the backed-up case folder, not on the printer PC. Choosing the printer itself is covered in our guide to 3D printers for dental offices. If the guide is designed in-house but printed by a lab, sending the file to the lab is a separate step; agree the method with the lab and your IT provider before the first case.

What to ask your IT provider about your implant planning workstation

How Legend Networking can help

When Legend is a practice's IT provider, our side is the computers, network, server, backups and accounts around the planning software; the vendor supports the application itself. Legend supports the IT environment for Carestream and Planmeca/Romexis imaging. Whatever planner your practice runs, the application itself is supported by its vendor, so agree in writing who owns the PC, the licence key and the case backups. More on how we work with periodontists is on our periodontist IT support page.

This guide comes from Ian Lynch, who has 22 years in dental IT and oversees the NOC, onsite dispatch and client technology roadmaps. Hardware procurement, major cabling projects and software licensing are quoted separately.